


just cold water

by childofthenight2035



Series: Put Your Glasses On [23]
Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, First Dates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childofthenight2035/pseuds/childofthenight2035
Summary: Good lord,Jaebeom thinks.He doesn't even want to know what those to get up to when his back is turned.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung, Mark Tuan/Jackson Wang
Series: Put Your Glasses On [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685593
Comments: 9
Kudos: 75





	just cold water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ashaarah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashaarah/gifts).



> soooooo a lot of people wanted to see markson! so there we are, here are my babies going on a date and clearly this is inspired by that episode of hard carry, honestly jackson should have been with mark and yugbam
> 
> also this is for Ashaarah thank you for getting me out of a slump ily bye

“Jackson? Are you even paying attention?”

He isn’t, actually; he doesn’t even hear Jaebeom sighing and swearing under his breath. He’s drinking in the sight of Mark standing in the booth with headphones around his neck, and he marvels at how natural the man looks there, how _professional_ , and the lighting is _really_ flattering, and why is Mark waving his hands around—

“Jackson!”

He snaps back to attention, eyes wide as they find Jaebeom’s irritated face. He presses his lips together in a tight line, feeling a little guilty. Jaebeom’s been working doubly hard all week without his partner, and it’s Friday, and he just wants to wrap this up for the weekend, especially since he has to leave early to pick Yugyeom up from pre-school. “Sorry.”

Jaebeom digs his fingertips into the pressure points on his forehead and chooses to ignore him. He swivels in his chair. “You know what, never mind, I don’t want his opinion. Mark-ssi, that was okay? Can we wrap this up?” Mark gives him a thumbs-up, taking the headphones off and hooking them back around the mic. 

Jackson sidles up to Jaebeom as he packs his bag. “Jaebeom,” he whines, putting on a little show of aegyo to appease him. “I’m sorry…” Jaebeom side-eyes him and finally relents, lips curving upward. 

“You two need to get your shit together,” he says, shaking his head, just as Mark exits the booth. “It’s not my business, but I’m really, _really_ tired of you two ogling each other and making my life difficult.” He slings his backpack over his shoulder. “I’m out. Close the door after you leave, will you?” Jackson gives him a mock salute, but he just rolls his eyes and leaves.

Mark’s ears are already pink from Jaebeom’s comment. He’s aware that Jackson makes himself painfully obvious, but hadn’t Jaebeom pulled him aside one day and told him, _I’m legally not allowed to interfere in whatever you two are playing at, or Jinyoung will kill me, and I can’t say anything to Jackson because that will get back to Jinyoung immediately, so if you’re going to get together, that’s your thing, but can we keep this professional while we’re here? it would make my job a lot easier?_

Mark was mortified at the time, but since then, since he and Jackson exchanged numbers, there has been progress. At least he hopes. He _really_ hopes this isn’t just a one-way thing. 

Jackson turns to him and grins, and Mark’s nearly blushing all over again. He can feel the smoke from his ears and he quickly diverts his gaze. 

“So, are you ready?” Jackson asks him, inching closer and closer into his space. 

“For the date?” he answers mindlessly. “Sure, yeah.”

There’s a split second of silence (which is all he may ever get with this man) in which Jackson freezes but then smirks. “I thought you said it _wasn’t_ a date?”

There goes the rest of his face up in flames. “I—no, yeah, I didn’t mean _date_ date, I just meant—” and then he catches sight of Jackson’s face and it’s so clear he’s teasing that Mark purses his lips and thrusts Jackson’s bag at him. “Come on, then, you goof. Let’s go.”

-

It isn’t a secret that Jackson is probably the more athletic between them—pretty clear from his physique and the fact that he never shuts up about his fencing accomplishments, which are certainly commendable—but Mark is no less sporty, he just never lets anyone know. Which is why, when Jackson proposed they try wakeboarding (as a date?), he agreed and just let Jackson believe that this is also his first time. 

Jackson bubbles with enthusiasm and confidence all the way there, to the point where Mark wonders if Jackson is lying about not doing this before, but that energy fizzles out _very_ quickly, as soon as they get to the dock. It’s almost as if seeing the huge expanse of water and realizing just how deep it goes, made him take a step back and rethink his decision. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jackson hastily says as they get off the bus. 

Mark laughs. “This was _your_ idea!”

“Well…” he tilts his head, voice rising in pitch. “We don’t really _have_ to—”

“Come on, Jackson, you’ll be fine.” Mark seizes Jackson’s arm, emboldened now that he has the upper hand and tugs him onward. Jackson only grows more skittish as he changes into the wetsuit and follows the instructor to where the wakeboards and boats are. Jackson tries his very best to convince Mark to go first, but Mark somehow persuades the instructor to take his side. The two overrule Jackson and the fencer is pretty much tossed into the water. 

The shrieks Jackson lets out come straight out of a horror movie. 

“It’s just some cold water, Jackson!” Mark calls. Jackson seems paralysed as the wakeboard is strapped to his feet and explanations are given to him. Mark sits on the edge of the dock, legs dangling over above the water and watches. 

Jackson tries, and fails. Didn’t last more than two seconds standing up. To be precise, _tried_ standing up. He tries again, and fails. Again and again and again, and Mark laughs his head off every time. At last he manages to stand, turns around to look at Mark in triumph (Mark barely gets time to clap) before his balance is torn away as the boat starts to move. 

It’s so comical that Mark collapses backwards, clutching his stomach. 

It takes Jackson several (hundred) tries to pull it off successfully, and he’s yelling and shouting the whole time. Mark wonders, in awe, how on earth Jackson’s throat hasn’t caved in on itself yet. He arrives back at the dock, flushed and soaking wet. 

“Your turn, Markie,” he says, throwing himself onto the wooden planks where Mark sits. Trying not to seem affected by the nickname, he picks himself up and goes to their instructor. Mark doesn’t need to be told what to do. Right off the bat, he adjusts to the new wakeboard and the water and stands up properly on his first try. 

“You’re good!” comes the compliment. He can hear Jackson’s indignant screeches from somewhere behind him. He ignores this. The boat starts moving and he finds his balance almost perfectly.

He’s no novice, but he’s no professional, either. He’s done this maybe once, twice if he includes that time he was tossed off his cousin’s moving boat with a sled and a rope. But it comes easily to him now. He’s grateful—he thought he might be nervous and clumsy with Jackson around. He’s happy to find that he’s not. Jackson is such a well-rounded person, better at him in so many things (social interactions being one of them), that it gives him a rush to be better at something. 

That probably wasn’t a good thing to feel, he shouldn’t be petty, but still.

The boat takes him around a couple times. He nails the turns effortlessly and once he’s dropped near the dock, Jackson pounces, even before he can untangle himself. 

“What the hell was that!” he cries, grabbing Mark’s arm and shaking it. “You—!” Mark just smiles, a little tired (the sun is setting, they should really leave), and sweeps his hair out of his face. He notices Jackson’s eyes following the movement. “You didn’t tell me you knew how to wakeboard.”

“You didn’t ask.” He’s on some high, confidence level at maximum, so he winks at Jackson and turns away, walking to dressing room, already peeling off the suit. Jackson follows, starstruck. They don’t speak until they’ve changed back into their clothes, and Mark offers to buy him ice cream or something from the store down the road. Jackson is quiet, uncharacteristically quiet, so Mark stops halfway down the block and turns. “Jackson?”

“Mark,” he begins, stepping closer, “can I kiss you?”

Mark’s mouth falls open in surprise. This came out of nowhere! 

Not that he didn’t want to. That wasn’t the point. 

But he stares into Jackson’s earnest heart-eyes and thinks to himself, _I’ll be alright._

So he leans in.

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry, i havent forgotten abt jjp and the rest of the cast


End file.
